1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an intuitive real spatial aiming-based system, and identification and communication methods using the intuitive real spatial aiming-based system and, more particularly, to an intuitive real spatial aiming-based system, and identification and communication methods using the intuitive real spatial aiming-based system, which can locate target devices located a long distance away based on angle-based and width-based target regions using an electronic compass having a magneto resistive sensor and an indoor location-based service server, which can detect a user's gesture using an accelerometer and execute intuitive commands based on the detected gesture, and which can make connections to the target devices through wireless communication, such as ZigBee, Bluetooth or Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN), based on direction setting and aiming motion and perform intuitive and remote control on the target devices, thus being capable of transmitting and receiving data.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, mobile devices, such as Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) and notebook computers, as well as desktop computers, have become widely used. Wireless communication, such as Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) communication, is being universalized between the mobile devices. That is, the ubiquitous computing age based on widely popularized devices capable of wireless communication is coming.
Here, the term “ubiquitous computing” means an environment in which users can acquire necessary information through a network regardless of place. Ubiquitous computing requires a condition that devices must be convenient to carry and is based on a basic concept of tracking users' locations and then providing various services to the users, which is currently in an early stage.
Such ubiquitous computing is chiefly used for file transfer, such as the transmission or reception of messages, through wireless communication between computer devices. To realize such file transfer, there are a method in which a user orients his or her computer towards a target computer and then connects the two computer to each other through infrared communication, and a method in which a list of computers connected over a wireless network is displayed on a user's computer screen and the name or nickname of a target computer is selected from the list, so that a connection is made via a WLAN.
The method of making a connection to a target computer through infrared communication is problematic in that a transmission rate is low, computers interconnected through the infrared communication cannot be removed form each other during communication, and the connection is interrupted when an obstacle enters the space between the computers. Furthermore, the method of making a connection to a target computer through a WLAN by selecting the name or nickname of the target computer is problematic in that it is not easy to search for the name or nickname of the target computer in a list of the plurality of computers, and the user must know the name or nickname of the target computer in advance.
Meanwhile, various methods have been proposed to solve these problems. First, there is a method in which, when an infrared transmitter/receiver for transmitting a device identification number is attached to each device, a pen to which an infrared transmitter/receiver is attached, is brought within the vicinity of the infrared identifier attached to each device and the button of the pen is pressed, the network address of the device is received by the pen and is then transferred to the user's mobile computer, such as a PDA.
Accordingly, even if the user does not know the network address of each device, a target can be directly detected without using an indirect means. That is, intuitive communication depending on a pointing motion can be established in the vicinity of the identifier of the device.
However, the above-described method is problematic in that each device must be equipped with an infrared identifier that is easily visible, and it is difficult to remotely control and access the device from beyond a predetermined distance, so that the control and access must be performed from a short distance, therefore it is influenced by the distance.
Second, there is a method in which a somewhat wide solar cell panel is attached to a target device, a laser signal on which the network address of the user's computer is carried is aimed at the target device, and then the target device establishes communication with the user's computer through a WLAN.
In this method, the laser signal is injurious to the human body and eyes, and each computer device must be provided with the somewhat large solar cell panel, the appearance of which is not good.
The method is disadvantageous in that, in the case where the target computer device is a small-sized PDA, the solar cell panel having a size larger than that of the main body of the computer device cannot be attached to the computer device, and the solar cell panels of computer devices must face a user.
Third, there is a method that allows laser transmitters/receivers to exchange network addresses therebetween. This is problematic in that it is difficult to aim at a target in the distance because laser light has excessively strong directionality.